Pausanias Analysis

After passing forward from the tomb, a river flows into the sea; it is called Scyras, because Pyrrhus son of Achilles once anchored his ships there, at which time he sailed from Scyros for his marriage with Hermione. After crossing the river, at some distance further is an ancient sanctuary of Zeus, with an altar. Forty stadia inland from the river lies Pyrrhichus. They say that the city took its name from Pyrrhus son of Achilles, but some claim Pyrrhichus was one of those called gods.

Of the Curetes: there are some who say Silenus came here from Malea and made his dwelling in this place. That Silenus was indeed reared in Malea is made clear by these verses from a poem by Pindar: "The mighty dancer, whom Mount Malea nurtured, husband of the Naiad, Silenus." (Pindar, Frag. 156 Schroeder). But that he also had the name Pyrrhichus, though not mentioned by Pindar, is asserted by those who dwell around Malea.

In Pyrrhichus there is a well in the marketplace, which they believe Silenus gave them; indeed, they would suffer from lack of water, if this well should ever fail. Among the sanctuaries in their territory are one of Artemis, surnamed Astrateia (Warlike), so called because here the Amazons ended their further advance, and another of Apollo Amazonios. Both statues are wooden images, and the inhabitants say that the women from the Thermodon themselves dedicated these statues.

From Pyrrhichos descending to the sea is Teuthrone. The local inhabitants say its founder was Teuthras, who was an Athenian. Among the gods they particularly honor Issorian Artemis, and there is in their territory a spring called Naia. At a distance of one hundred and fifty stades from Teuthrone, projecting into the sea, is the promontory Taenarum. Here are harbors called Achilles’ Harbor and Psamathus, and on the headland itself there is a sanctuary resembling a cave, with a statue of Poseidon placed in front of it.

Some of the Greeks have made the story that Heracles led the hound of Hades up through this place, disregarding neither the idea that there might be a path underground through the cave nor the belief, which they were unwilling to accept, that beneath the earth existed some abode of gods where souls gathered together. But Hecataeus of Miletus provided a more plausible account, saying that a terrible serpent was reared at Taenarum, called the hound of Hades because anyone bitten immediately died from its venom. It was this serpent, he claimed, that Heracles brought to Eurystheus.

Homer—for he was the first to mention the hound of Hades, which Heracles led forth—does not give it any particular name nor elaborate upon its form as he does with the Chimaera. Later writers, however, assigned to it the name Cerberus, and, likening it otherwise to a dog, declared that it had three heads—though Homer said nothing to indicate more clearly that it was a dog like those that keep men company, than if he had called a serpent the hound of Hades.

At Taenarum there are various dedications, including a bronze statue of Arion the citharode riding upon a dolphin. Herodotus has recounted the story concerning Arion himself and the matter of the dolphin, based on hearsay, in his work about Lydia. As for the dolphin at Poroselene, which rendered thanks to the boy because the boy had healed it after fishermen wounded it, I myself saw this dolphin; it obeyed when the boy called it and carried him whenever he wished to ride.

At Taenarum there is also a spring which nowadays displays nothing remarkable; but formerly, as they say, those who looked into its water used to behold harbors and ships. A woman caused this marvel to cease and prevented such visions from appearing ever again by washing into it clothing that had been defiled.

Forty stades from the promontory of Taenarum lies Caenepolis by sea; this place also once bore the name Taenarum. In it there is a sanctuary of Demeter, and by the shore a temple of Aphrodite, containing an upright stone statue. Sailing onward from there thirty stades are the promontory Thyrides and the ruins of the city Hippola, where stands the sacred sanctuary of Athena Hippolaitis. A little further distant is the city Messa with its harbor.

From this harbor it is one hundred and fifty stades to Oitylos. The hero from whom the city received its name was originally an Argive, being the son of Amphianax, who was the son of Antimachos. Worth seeing at Oitylos are a sanctuary of Sarapis and, in the marketplace, a wooden image of Apollo Karneios.